The Taboo of Changing Fate
by kingboomy
Summary: The temple priest Stone Raine and his beloved adopted daughter Cosanta have been charged by the temple to vanquish a plotting vampire clan or be executed. Many of those close to them fall in the battle and Stone raine is left with a heavy decision.


**The morning sun rises over the bitter coast and along with the light it brings relief for the two creatures who'd not spent a single hour on rest in days. They hurried off into the swam like vermin as they tried to make it as far away from the anaudea tomb as their fatigued bodies would take them. **

**As they reached the sea of ghosts they permuted their bodies to slow and rest. They lowered their hoods together and looked at the muddy floor in shame. The night had been unfruitful and had cost them dearly. The dark elf knelt down and ran her fingers across the empty shell of a dead mud-crab. A strange feeling swept through her, and her mortality became so inpendingly clear that she may have sold it if they where in the bazaar. Fighting the urge to weep she pulled her hood back over her head.**

**"Are you okay..?" she asked in a concerned tone as she turned to the other cloaked creature. A tall scaly argonian stood firm and the ever-present stoic expression remained unchanged as he nodded. His tail rose and he held it for a moment before throwing down an arrow shaft. He closed his eyes again and let the sun's light assure him again of their safety. **

**Cosanta looked at the shaft for a moment. Those arrows where poisoned.. she thought Lent on her small silver staff and used it to stand again. Rummaging though a small bag she looked for her cure bottles. The held one up to read the label and smiled faintly as she turned to Stone raine. "Here.." she said looking up. "This should.."**

**The argonian was already walking back, off into the bitter-swamps.**

**Consanta Thought for a moment and remembered that he was immune to poisons. She hurried to catch up and walked alongside him. "What do we tell the ordinators?" She asked. Again he was unresponsive. **

**"They will not be pleased.." he hissed as he picked up speed. Cosanta gave a small twinge at the thought of the response they may get from the ordinators.**

**Two Weeks ago The ordinators, highly trained and strictly disciplined warriors who protected the holiest places and served almost indirectly under the god vivec, ad come to Her and her master at their temple a short way from caldera. They had asked Stone Raine to rid The Alamalyn tomb of The Anuadea who'd recently taken to turning it into a sort of vampire stronghold. When stone Raine had refused they Threatened him With torture and excommunication from the temple of vivec. They had given him a death warrant and he knew it. **

**And now here they where. Two weeks, eight men gone, six slain and two recruited by force, and more gold than She'd ever seen thrown into this assault and not only had they not killed more that one vampire but the enemy had actually gained one from their original figure of thirteen. **

**This was too much. Not only was she only a low ranking apprentice to stone raine, but he was getting old (At least by human standards). She knew this because She remembered how the scaly healer had taken her in when she was a child and he had to have studied for a while to have been a healer already. That was fifteen years ago and though Consanta Was still young she knew stone raine probably wouldn't hold out much longer. (Though what she mistakes for senile behavior is actually the strange behavior of the argonian people.)**

**ΩΩΩ**

**Stone raine had stopped walking abruptly and Consanta nearly fell over trying to avoid hitting him. She looked around and noticed they where very close to the tomb they had just nearly escaped not but an hour ago. Looking at the small dome entrance made her shiver with unease and she wanted desperately for stone raine to begin walking again. After what seemed like hours she drew closer to ask him what was wrong. The was a low hissing coming from the scaly man as he stared at the wooden door as though trying to see what the inhabitants where planning. **

**For weeks days before they watched the tomb with some sense of security to try and get a figure of how many there where and what they where to be up against. **

**but now it was hard to watch that simple wooden door.**

**Sun's dusk day three e5**

**Seven cloaked figures stood crouched in the bushes trying to get a momentary rest before they tackled the greatest task any of them had ever been given. The gravity of what they where about to try was just coming down on them as they waited for the priest to rejoin them. Consanta was still tired from the walk back to their scouting spot near the tomb. **

**An odd hiss sounded from overhead and they all rose and watched expectingly. Stone raine had a look of the utmost seriousness on his face and he seemed out of breath. Consanta was about to speak when another hiss sounded. **

**"They come.."**

**They waited for a moment and sure enough six figures came into view. Four of them cloaked and the others seemed to be struggling to stand.**

**One man beside them started to speak but was quickly silenced by a scaly hand. **

**The six hurried into the tomb and raine hissed again. This time the others could bearly make out the word "Cattle". Cosanta was about to ask what he ment when the idea came to her. The four had abducted two people with the intent to bring them into the tomb to keep as a ration supply for the others. **

**She gritted her teeth and held her silver staff close. She wanted dearly to yell out in anger but she knew that would only compromise thier mission. There was a quiet balk from the others and she looked around for the old argonian but only saw the end of his tail trailing away as he made a mad dash for the door of the tomb. The quickly chased after him not anting to be seperated from him for long. she reached out for the door but it was already open and she saw stone raine bounding down the stone steps slently and easily as he'd been going up them. He rounded he corner before she was down the stairs and she heard yelling from the upcoming atrium. she drew her staf back but quickly ducked bck behind the corner as arrow crashed against the wall. She came around again and made her first mistake of the night. She stood looking for her elderly master and was quickly thrown back as a large club found its way into her face. **

**As she sat up she heard the others coming down the stairs and felt another arrow fly past the back of her head. She quickly stood and held her staff tight as she swung upon the first archer she saw. To her surprise the man shrugged off her blow and brought his bow into her ribs and sent her ack to the floor. She gasped for air as he took aim for the hallway and drew an arrow back. Cosanta clenched her teeth as she swung hard as she could manage for the back of the archer's knees. His leg gave way and he fell to one knee and his arrow crashed into the side of another vampire. immediately he twisted around and swung the bow at her crown. Still breathless cosanta rolled over hoping the blow would only be caught in her back but it never came. She caught her breath and turned to see the ma gone and Stone raine hovering nearby. He flung a dagger into the chest of one of the fiends and with a gesture from his hand it came back to him only to be aimed and thrown again.**

**Soon the others had joined the fray, Raine was now throwing his dagger wildly into the fight below, Two of the other temple members where attempting to hold back one particularly large redgaurd vampire and Consanta Was Using magick to temporarily paralyze the other vampires hoping one of her teammates would take a shot at them.**

**Overall The battle didnt end well. The others where either dead or doomed to the clan anaude's servitude forever (yeah I'm lazy).**

**ΩΩΩΩΩΩ**

**Later Cosanta And stone raine sat in the dark corner of a small pub in caldera. Stone raine was staring into space deep in thought about their failed assault on the anaude stronghold, while cosanta sat slumped against the wall sleeping.**

**There had to be another way. There always is.**

**The images of his comrades being slaughtered for his impotency continued to move throughout his thoughts as he contemplated his revenge on the anaude. **

**Stone raine stood and began walking upstairs. Cosanta stirred and mumbled in her sleep. Stone raine looked back on his adoptive daughter for what he was sure would be the last time and gave an involuntary shudder before leaving the pub.**

**He stepped outside into the cold night air and pulled his hood back up over his head setting out for the bitter coast. He'd made up his mind.**

**The anuade must not be allowed to continue with their plans. By any meens.**

**ΩΩΩΩ**

**Alright, sorry to leave such a large window before releasing something. But I have a good feeling about this story. It'll give more insight to one ov my favorite Origanal Characters, stone raine. It doent quite tell his whole story since it starts while he's already aged, but it does give more insight as to why he hates Methasnia so much.**

**To those ov you who have no idea as to what I'm talking about.**

**I'm sorry, I'll get more written out. **

**Also I'm beginning something my other project soon and hopefully by the end ov the month it'll be out so keep and eye out for "Plague"**

**Thanks for reading!**

**R&R!**

** boomy **

**Nexy time:**

**Stone raine is pressed hard to defeat the plotting Anaude before the ordanators decide to execute the members of his temple. But he's already lost so many of his closest friends in a bloody slaughter. The only one left to lose is his beloved adopted daughter. Bringing her risks her death. Failing means she would be hunted mercilessly but the ordinators and eventually executed. He's made up his mind, and failure is not an option. He has to do this alone. But can he?  
**


End file.
